Improvement in combining metallic reeds with piano-fortes



lhviTnn STaTns FaTnNT OFFICE.

MOSES OOBURN, OF SAVANNAH, GEORGIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN COMBINING METALLIC REEDS WITH PIANO-FORTES.

Specification forming partot Letters Patent No. 419941.@ dated Februaryl, 1847.

.To allan/bom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, Mesas COBURN, of Savannah, in the county of Chathamand State ot' Georgia, have invented a new and useful Attachment to thePiano-Forte; and l do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description ofthe principle or character thatdistinguishes it from all other things bei'ore known, and et' the mannerot' making, constructing, and using the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, making part of this speciiication, in which-Figure l is a top plan, with the top of the ease removed. Fig. 2 is asection taken at the line X X, Fig. l.

rlthe same letters indica the iigures.

The nature of my invention consists in combining with a piano-forte ot'any known construction a set ot' metallic reeds similar to those used inaecordions and other instruments ot' like character, said reeds beingtuned to the strings ot' the pianoforte and being played by the sainekeys, so as to produce the coinbined effect ot' a wind and stringedinstrument. It will be obvious that there are various modes of combiningthe two into one instrument. rlhe one I have essayed is shown inthedrawings, the palts et which are designated by letters of reference.

rlhe case a ol" the instrument is like that of any ordinary piano,except that a little more space is allowed above the strings. Z; are thestrings, c the keys, and d the hammers. Above the strings I place a longnarrow box, c, that extends the whole length of the keys. In the te likeparts iii all bottom of this box the reeds j" are situated, lying closeto the springs, with suih cient space for vibration, Sac. Above eachreed there is a valve, 71, that opens into the box c above named, andwhen opened forms a communication between the box and reed. At each endof the box there is a communication, t, made down to a pair of bellows,7s, placed under the case. are worked by treadles placed beside theordinary pedals ofthe piano, acted on by the foot of the performer. Whenthe wind is forced into the box c, either of the reeds can be made tospeak by means of the connection ot its appropriate key with the valve7L over the reed. This connection is made by awire, fm, that extends upfrom the rear end of the key to the valve, so that when the front end ofthe key is depressed and the rear end elevated by the performer, thestring is struck by the hainmer in the ordinary way, and theconnectingwire m at the same time raises the valve and causes the reedwhich is tuned to the string to speak. The valves h are kept closed by aspring, n, attached to the box inside and resting on it. v

What l. claim as my invention, and desire4 to secure by Letters Patent,is-

The employment of a series of metallic reeds tuned to the strings of apiano-forte, in combination with said strings, so as. to be played uponby the same keys that act on the strings ofthe piano and at the sametime, the Whole being constructed as above set forth, or in any othermanner substantially the saine.

MOSES COBURN. lVitnesses:

Gno. YV. VVYLLY. DANL. N. LAIN, R.' RAIFORD.

rlhese are of ordinary construction, and

